the essays of montaigne, v13-第9章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


the　degree　of　their　indignation；　to　a　shorter　or　a　longer　respite；　that
they　might　therein　have　better　leisure　to　dispose　their　affairs；　and
sometimes　depriving　them　of　the　means　of　doing　it　by　the　shortness　of　the
time；　and　if　the　condemned　seemed　unwilling　to　submit　to　the　order；　they
had　people　ready　at　hand　to　execute　it　either　by　cutting　the　veins　of　the
arms　and　legs；　or　by　compelling　them　by　force　to　swallow　a　draught　of
poison。　　But　persons　of　honour　would　not　abide　this　necessity；　but　made
use　of　their　own　physicians　and　surgeons　for　this　purpose。　　Seneca；　with
a　calm　and　steady　countenance；　heard　their　charge；　and　presently　called
for　paper　to　write　his　will；　which　being　by　the　captain　refused；　he
turned　himself　towards　his　friends；　saying　to　them；　〃Since　I　cannot　leave
you　any　other　acknowledgment　of　the　obligation　I　have　to　you；　I　leave　you
at　least　the　best　thing　I　have；　namely；　the　image　of　my　life　and　manners；
which　I　entreat　you　to　keep　in　memory　of　me；　that　by　so　doing　you　may
acquire　the　glory　of　sincere　and　real　friends。〃　　And　there　withal；　one
while　appeasing　the　sorrow　he　saw　in　them　with　gentle　words；　and
presently　raising　his　voice　to　reprove　them：　〃What；〃　said　he；　〃are　become
of　all　our　brave　philosophical　precepts？　What　are　become　of　all　the
provisions　we　have　so　many　years　laid　up　against　the　accidents　of
fortune？　Is　Nero's　cruelty　unknown　to　us？　　What　could　we　expect　from　him
who　had　murdered　his　mother　and　his　brother；　but　that　he　should　put　his
tutor　to　death　who　had　brought　him　up？〃　　After　having　spoken　these　words
in　general；　he　turned　himself　towards　his　wife；　and　embracing　her　fast　in
his　arms；　as；　her　heart　and　strength　failing　her；　she　was　ready　to　sink
down　with　grief；　he　begged　of　her；　for　his　sake；　to　bear　this　accident
with　a　little　more　patience；　telling　her；　that　now　the　hour　was　come
wherein　he　was　to　show；　not　by　argument　and　discourse；　but　effect；　the
fruit　he　had　acquired　by　his　studies；　and　that　he　really　embraced　his
death；　not　only　without　grief；　but　moreover　with　joy。　　〃Wherefore；　my
dearest；〃　said　he；　〃do　not　dishonour　it　with　thy　tears；　that　it　may　not
seem　as　if　thou　lovest　thyself　more　than　my　reputation。　　Moderate　thy
grief；　and　comfort　thyself　in　the　knowledge　thou　hast　had　of　me　and　my
actions；　leading　the　remainder　of　thy　life　in　the　same　virtuous　manner
thou　hast　hitherto　done。〃　　To　which　Paulina；　having　a　little　recovered
her　spirits；　and　warmed　the　magnanimity　of　her　courage　with　a　most
generous　affection；　replied；　〃No；　Seneca；〃　said　she；　〃I　am　not　a　woman
to　suffer　you　to　go　alone　in　such　a　necessity：　I　will　not　have　you　think
that　the　virtuous　examples　of　your　life　have　not　taught　me　how　to　die；
and　when　can　I　ever　better　or　more　fittingly　do　it；　or　more　to　my　own
desire；　than　with　you？　and　therefore　assure　yourself　I　will　go　along　with
you。〃　　Then　Seneca；　taking　this　noble　and　generous　resolution　of　his　wife
m　good　part；　and　also　willing　to　free　himself　from　the　fear　of　leaving
her　exposed　to　the　cruelty　of　his　enemies　after　his　death：　〃I　have；
Paulina；〃　said　he；　〃instructed　thee　in　what　would　serve　thee　happily　to
live；　but　thou　more　covetest；　I　see；　the　honour　of　dying：　in　truth；
I　will　not　grudge　it　thee；　the　constancy　and　resolution　in　our　common　end
are　the　same；　but　the　beauty　and　glory　of　thy　part　are　much　greater。〃
Which　being　said；　the　surgeons；　at　the　same　time；　opened　the　veins　of
both　their　arms；　but　as　those　of　Seneca　were　more　shrunk　up；　as　well　with
age　as　abstinence；　made　his　blood　flow　too　slowly；　he　moreover　commanded
them　to　open　the　veins　of　his　thighs；　and　lest　the　torments　he　endured
might　pierce　his　wife's　heart；　and　also　to　free　himself　from　the
affliction　of　seeing　her　in　so　sad　a　condition；　after　having　taken　a　very
affectionate　leave　of　her；　he　entreated　she　would　suffer　them　to　carry
her　into　her　chamber；　which　they　accordingly　did。　　But　all　these
incisions　being　not　yet　enough　to　make　him　die；　he　commanded　Statius
Anneus；　his　physician；　to　give　him　a　draught　of　poison；　which　had　not
much　better　effect；　for　by　reason　of　the　weakness　and　coldness　of　his
limbs；　it　could　not　arrive　at　his　heart。　　Wherefore　they　were　forced　to
superadd　a　very　hot　bath；　and　then；　feeling　his　end　approach；　whilst　he
had　breath　he　continued　excellent　discourses　upon　the　subject　of　his
present　condition；　which　the　secretaries　wrote　down　so　long　as　they　could
hear　his　voice；　and　his　last　words　were　long　after　in　high　honour　and
esteem　amongst　men；　and　it　is　a　great　loss　to　us　that　they　have　not　come
down　to　our　times。　　Then；　feeling　the　last　pangs　of　death；　with　the
bloody　water　of　the　bath　he　bathed　his　head；　saying：　〃This　water　I
dedicate　to　Jupiter　the　deliverer。〃　　Nero；　being　presently　informed　of
all　this；　fearing　lest　the　death　of　Paulina；　who　was　one　of　the　best…born
ladies　of　Rome；　and　against　whom　he　had　no　particular　unkindness；　should
turn　to　his　reproach；　sent　orders　in　all　haste　to　bind　up　her　wounds；
which　her　attendants　did　without　her　knowledge；　she　being　already　half
dead；　and　without　all　manner　of　sense。　　Thus；　though　she　lived　contrary
to　her　own　design；　it　was　very　honourably；　and　befitting　her　own　virtue；
her　pale　complexion　ever　after　manifesting　how　much　life　had　run　from　her
veins。

These　are　my　three　very　true　stories；　which　I　find　as　entertaining　and　as
tragic　as　any　of　those　we　make　out　of　our　own　heads　wherewith　to　amuse
the　common　people；　and　I　wonder　that　they　who　are　addicted　to　such
relations；　do　not　rather　cull　out　ten　thousand　very　fine　stories；　which
are　to　be　found　in　books；　that　would　save　them　the　trouble　of　invention；
and　be　more　useful　and　diverting；　and　he　who　would　make　a　whole　and
connected　body　of　them　would　need　to　add　nothing　of　his　own；　but　the
connection　only；　as　it　were　the　solder　of　another　metal；　and　might　by
this　means　embody　a　great　many　true　events　of　all　sorts；　disposing　and
diversifying　them　according　as　the　beauty　of　the　work　should　require；
after　the　same　manner；　almost；　as　Ovid　has　made　up　his　Metamorphoses　of
the　infinite　number　of　various　fables。

In　the　last　couple；　this　is；　moreover；　worthy　of　consideration；　that
Paulina　voluntarily　offered　to　lose　her　life　for　the　love　of　her　husband；
and　that　her　husband　had　formerly　also　forborne　to　die　for　the　love　of
her。　　We　may　think　there　is　no　just　counterpoise　in　this　exchange；　but；
according　to　his　stoical　humour；　I　fancy　he　thought　he　had　done　as　much
for　her；　in　prolonging　his　life　upon　her　account；　as　if　he　had　died　for
her。　　In　one　of　his　letters　to　Lucilius；　after　he　has　given　him　to
understand　that；　being　seized　with　an　ague　in　Rome；　he　presently　took
coach　to　go　to　a　house　he　had　in　the　country；　contrary　to　his　wife's
opinion；　who　would　have　him　stay；　and　that　he　had　told　her　that　the　ague
he　was　seized　with　was　not　a　fever　of　the　body　but　of　the　place；　it
follows　thus：　〃She　let　me　go；〃　says　he；　〃giving　me　a　strict　charge　of　my
health。　　Now　I；　who　know　that　her　life　is　involved　in　mine；　begin　to　make
much　of　myself；　that　I　may　preserve　her。　　And　I　lose　the　privilege　my　age
has　given　me；　of　being　more　constant　and　resolute　in　many　things；　when　I
call　to　mind　that　in　this　old　fellow　there　is　a　young　girl　who　is
interested　in　his　health。　　And　since　I　cannot　persuade　her　to　love　me
more　courageously；　she　makes　me　more　solicitously　love　myself：　for　we
must　allow　something　to　honest　affections；　and；　sometimes；　though
occasions　importune　us　to　the　contrary；　we　must　call　back　life；　even
though　it　be　with　torment：　we　must　hold　the　soul　fast　in　our　teeth；　since
the　rule　of　living；　amongst　good　men；　is　not　so　long　as　they　please；　but
as　long　as　they　ought。　　He　that　loves　not　his　wife　nor　his　friend　so　well
as　to　prolong　his　life　for　them；　but　will　obstinately　die；　is　too
delicate　and　too　effeminate：　the　soul　must　impose　this　upon　itself；　when
the　utility　of　our　friends　so　requires；　we　must　sometimes　lend　ourselves
to　our　friends；　and　when　we　would　die　for　ourselves　must　break　that
resolution　for　them。　　'Tis　a　testimony　of　grandeur　of　courage　to　return
to　life　for　the　consideration　of　another；　as　many　excellent　persons　have
done：　and　'tis　a　mark　of　singu